Ogre Alert - Editor Ogre Lies

Ogre Sighted Near ToL Municipal Facility

*** 8:00pm Update *** See Below
Just a short while ago one of our reporters spotted a librarian bun entering the Township facility with a hunch-backed ogre following very close behind. The ogre had the look of a kid heading into a candy store, no doubt to view the reports on campaign financing.

Of course the ogre will very soon be typing his little heart out. Is it anyone's guess that the object of the crass comments will be aimed squarely at Councillor Jordan Bateman? Of course Bateman will be the focus of his silliness, as the ogre cannot comprehend the financing of a professional campaign that engages people who usually don't get out to vote and udually go unreached.

The ogre is not very skilled in basic math nor the use of Excel, as his numbers today just don't add up to the facts. You can double-check his pack of lies with The Langley Times numbers that were reported by Editor Frank Bucholts himself. Perhaps a certain politico took good care of yet another pal? Maybe the ogre should stick to videography? But then again if you are just zooming in and making poor quality videos, you can't be a very good liar now, can you?

*** Update ***
Anatomy of a Liar

From Editor Ogre:


From The Langley Times:
We rest our case. Editor Ogre is a big liar. The deception from Cllr. Richter deserves an apology to Cllr. Jordan Bateman pronto. The ogre has done it again, showing that Councillor Kim Richter and her website cannot be trusted to report the facts. The ogre is once again a HUGE political liability for the Green/Richter slate. This is why the ogre must accuse others of deception, as he is the real liar, but in total denial!

An Open Letter to Fred M***

We will not tolerate the reports of libel, slander, etc. and all the other garbage that has come from the real "dark side", most often directly from a particular "editor" on behalf of his politico spouse. 

To Fred M. (the real "Horny Toad" of Glen Valley) we stand 100% behind our Co-Op story and we take exception to anyone slandering and making libelous statements against one of our special editors. If anyone wishes to file their legal claims now, please do so. Bring it on! We welcome it, as we have had someone on retainer for some time now documenting items that are very interesting. We have done so because we know some politicos and their boot lickers like to make idle threats constantly and not do their homework here in Langley. That is why they were sued in 2001.  They should just act and not flap the jaw. Get on with it, or just be silent silly side show.  

Fred (Mr. Horny Toad) posted his own brand of snake oil and venom constantly on this blog day and night. Then his masters jerked his tight leash and he had to hang it up. We obliged Mr. HT by answering his numerous questions and gibberish. We are very pleased to see him go, as it frees up all kinds of time for our editors to do what we intended to do with this blog in the first place, and that is research. We research events and issues in the Township and post the results here. 

We provide another side of the story that people weren't getting in the past. As for people who comment, we know many of them. The are smart and decent folks and we respect them. We allow the malcontents to post on the other site with their cohorts, as they find comfort and therapy there. Birds of a feather and all that. Get a crowd of them together and you will find every sour puss in the ToL - one big frown! The group should really become the "happy meds" crowd along with their leader, the unemployed Pied Piper with tripod. 

Caught in the Cross Hairs

It has come to our attention that the Otter Co-op was caught in the cross hairs this past weekend and it has made many members quite uneasy and unhappy. As some of you who shopped there this past Saturday/Sunday will know, there was a presence of commonly known boo birds and local pseudo want-to-be politicians (and politicians including Cllr. Richter), who strong-armed unsuspecting shoppers in to signing a petition or letter to the ALC regarding the Mufford overpass proposal.

Upon investigation, this intrepid reporter found out that initially the General Manager of the Co-op denied the group from having the tables outside and following through with the information and signing. Apparently feeling the denial was based on the fact that the Co-op, a very community minded organization, felt this was too politically charged of an issue and they wanted nothing to do with it.

This was a very smart move on their part except, that an unnamed female and male (who were front and centre at the tables) phoned several Co-op Board members and complained that they were being denied and if they were no allowed to do so, they would picket the Co-op on public property along 248^th St.. Feeling the pinch, the Co-Op Board overruled the General Manager and allowed the two day love fest/ signing to go forward.

This can only be viewed as corporate blackmail. Is this not bullying of the highest magnitude? These folks are all working in a clandestine way for the Green slate camp. So, Green and Richter must know of, and support, their activities evidencing and confirming a typical Green/Richter tactic….if I don’t get my way I will threaten or bully until I do.

This is a disgusting example of how the Green slate camp works and a true embarrassment for the Co-op Board and Management who now have to regroup and hopefully this week deal with the situation so next weekend shoppers can truly go to the Co-op and enjoy the shopping experience without having to feel harassed and uncomfortable.

It is of note that there are at least five members of Council who are members of the Co-op, Green, Richter, Fox, Dornan and Ferguson. Three supported the overpass and two voted against it. I wonder if the opposing view will have equal access to the Co-op shoppers next weekend?

This mayor simply doesn’t know how to lead. He is like a little boy in the sand box. If he doesn’t get HIS WAY, he throws sand in to the other boys face. He can’t compromise or work to consensus, nor does he have any desire to. I guess the question one asks is if the vote to reconsider fails, what will be his next tactic, hopefully it won’t involve bullying another business like his troops did with the Co-op that up until now has been a community leader! These Green-Richter strong arm tactics will do nothing but tear our community apart. It is very apparent that in the pursuit of taking good care of friends and insiders, the slate just does not care about the overall good of our community.

-- By Special Editor # 2

Overpass Opponents Are Few

The Editorial Board of the Langley Record has been busy checking facts related to the various local blogs and what people were searching for to get to them.

It is interesting that the average Langley resident has not searched any words on Google or Yahoo related to the overpass, in order to find their way to these local sites. We will keep confidential the other findings (and our sources), so here are the top searches that brought people to the Langley Record over the past 5 days. There were more, but here are the top ones:

Google Top 20:

Yahoo - There were 20 people that used it over the past 5 days to get to us:

VALTAC
In other news, VALTAC has now become a political organization, despite a recent public presentation where spokesman Peter Holt said they were truly independent and non-partisan and they have expelled their political member. Take a look at these statements. Not very political, eh?

A few friends of the Record have opined that perhaps VALTAC's main mission was the Mufford overpass, and not passenger rail and transportation. This past week, even Sonya Paterson went at VALTAC for not speaking about passenger rail in the area. Of course Paterson is wrong with an assumption that passenger rail is now not possible according to the engineers that have studied the subject. But the point here is that VALTAC has departed from passenger rail and is now a political group that is very focused on the Mufford Overpass.

The Township of Langley Budget Process

By LR Special Editor Michelle Sparrow

As a Homeowner and a mother of four, I have been approaching the Township budget process as I would with my own personal household budget. During this time of economic uncertainly, I like many others, have reassessed my own personal household budget. My husband and I have made choices, like putting off that family trip or a large reno to our home. We have done so because what is ultimately most important to our family is security, peace of mind, and the knowledge that we will make it through and be stronger for it.

I look at the Langley Township’s budget options and I am left thinking of what it would look like if it were a typical household’s budget. Let’s say for example that a typical household chose to budget in a similar fashion to Mayor Green’s finance committee’s recommendations. They take their expenses and income and come up with a “lean” budget, which they feel will be the best option for their family to get through the tough times. They trim that fat and only budget for current expenses, not leaving room for a surplus of savings or household improvements. They live this way for three years, feeling good that they have tightened the purse strings, and are living on less. As the years pass, they begin to notice home repairs that are mounting, but not having budget for that, they are forced to leave them for better times.

At the end of the three years they take stock of where they are now. They are stunned to find they have been left with a staggering amount of debt and have a house that is falling apart. They thought they had made the right choice, but what they were not aware of, was the real cost of living. Over the years their lean budget was actually carrying forward a large amount of debt each year. The repairs they had been putting off have also compounded, and the odd fix it jobs have now turned into major repairs. We can all look at this scenario and say, they did not make the right choices for their family. It does no good if they are not working with the true numbers. One needs to account for life’s “what if’s” and everyday repairs, and still come out ahead each year. Whether it is a household or a Municipal budget, we all play by the same rules. The Township is faced with the same challenges and responsibilities, as we the homeowners are, just on a much larger scale. We have to be responsible and have our eyes wide open to the reality of our financial situation.

It makes no sense to create a budget to live by that in all reality will only leave us with debt, a depleted savings account, and a long list of repairs. Mayor Green’s finance committee’s recommendation of less than 1% a year will leave us with a shortfall of $5,825,426 by 2011, all to keep as close to the promise of 0-0-0 as possible. I think each and every Township resident needs to look the true number of what a properly funded budget will cost your household each year. Is it $65, $100, $200 more a year per household?? We will have to wait and see the numbers, but it seems to me the best approach is to face things head on and plan for the reality.

Two Sides to Every Story

Councillor Kim Richter's website today attacks SYNOVATE a global leader in market intelligence and research.  The ALR Commission and Township of Langley staff have also now been brought into question through innuendo in the Richter website article. We will address the poll in another post, but we wish to address the ALR Commission and the application findings here.

Although Councillor Kim Richter provided the public with this overview findings of the ALR Commission, The Langley Record now provides you with the other side of the coin:

Despite the rhetoric from VALTAC , numerous Green insiders and Mayor Green's own public statements of the public process being a "sham", the ALR Commission staff have now confirmed for us that "In 2004 and 2005, area farmers contacted the Commission to express concerns over potential agricultural impacts on farm operations" with any proposed overpass. 

At NO time did ANY ToL councillor ever state that the proposed overpass would have no impact on agricultural lands. As stated in the findings of the ALR Commission:

"...the proposal has been necessitated by events which predate the ALR and which the Commission has acknowledged in previous decisions, thus the focus of the Commission's decision should be on minimizing impacts on agriculture and wherever possible achieving benefits to agriculture"

It is a fact that the Commission's agreement in principle with the new road clearly stated nine (9) pre-requisites to minimize the impact and IMPROVE agriculture in the area (see Page 5 of the document for the details of the 9 prerequisites). 

Why did the Green/Richter slate dig up this report now, when it was clearly available online since November/December 2008? Yet another ploy by the Green/Richter slate to kill the overpass, but more importantly to kill future agricultural benefits from this project! That's right folks, Mayor Green and Councillor Kim Richter have ignored the fact that a condition of this overpass work moving forward is for the project to greatly improve drainage for the entire Milner Valley,  in order to enhance agriculture for the wider area. 

Therefore, you can see that the desires of a few Green/Richter slate insiders is more important to the slate than the Milner Valley as a whole. 

Editor Bucholtz Becomes Publicist

News Flash - See below in Red

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"A publicist is a person whose job is to generate and manage publicity for a public figure, especially a celebrity, a business, or for a work such as a book or film. Publicists can be local, regional or national level. They can also have special expertise in areas such as entertainment or literary publicity. An older meaning of the term is closer to pamphleteer: someone who circulates ideas by publishing them, perhaps in ephemeral forms."

Just before the municipal election last year, The Langley Times began to embark on new territory. While other candidates were forced to pay for high-priced election advertising, The Times allowed members of the Green/Richter slate to use their Letters to the Editor as free publicity and advertising.

Since the election we have been The Langley Times Editor Frank Bucholtz use his Opinion page to advance the agendas of Mayor Green, Councillor Richter, and now the NDP. In fact, Bucholts had an Opinion written by Langley Tmes Al Irwin removed one Sunday evening earlier this year after the mayor called his home to complain about the article that appeared online. You can read the full piece here, even though The Langley Times removed all traces of it long ago. Bucky and the mayor certainly did not want you to see this.

In our Opinion, Editor Frank Bucholtz is the new Publicist for the Green/Richter slate and the NDP. Now that Bucky got two of Green slate elected, he has moved on temporarily to the the pamphleteer for the NDP. Be warned, his opinions are meant to create an outcome. So, is this editor of the local rag a pamphleteer or a puppeteer?

The "other" blog has just posted an open endorsement for the NDP candidate for MLA for Langley. Councillor Richtor slams Councillor Bateman for his BC Liberal affiliation, but she how now shown her true NDP colours. You will recall that Richter ran under the NDP banner and lost in the past.

Kim Rihcter's NDP Support & Endorsement from the other blog:

The Langley & Provincial Liberal arrogance of their blatant right of entitlement to interfere with our Langley municipal elections on School Board and Langley Township and most recently the blackmail shotgun approach on the Glover overpass is unfathomable and grossly disrespectful of our electorate. We must teach them a lesson that they will long remember. Please Vote to oust Polak and Coleman. Vote Stephany | 03.12.09 - 1:05 pm |

When Will Richter Lash Out?

The Township of Langley budget process is in full swing and staff have tried their best to work with all the revenue numbers, projects to be funded, unfunded, etc. In the first budget meeting Councillor Kim Richter accused staff of trying to promote a tax increase when they prepared various models of the numbers. Apparently Richter hasn't much indepth knowledge of budgets, as this is a normal part of the business budgetting proces.

Cllr. Richter also took opportunity during that same meeting to attack Colin Wright, Manager of Engineering for the Township. Mr. Wright is a well-qualified engineer and he simply stated that the ToL has a tremendous amount of roads and other infrastructure assets that require ongoing maintenance and upgrades to protect these valuable assets. In the past, budget cuts simply postponed this asset management and caused huge problems that required catch up later. Mr. Wright communicated a well-known fact that a response to a crisis costs much more (sometimes 25-50% more) than simply maintaining assets.

Councillor Richter loves to order off the extensive menu, but she always seems to skip out when the bill is coming. One of our editors is doing the research, but we've found that many council colleagues are tired of her promoting various projects and causes, only to vote against the final budget. We fully expect Councillor Kim Richter to vote against this budget. Although it will be packaged as something that it is not, you can be sure her vote will be purely for political reasons and most certainly for self-promotion. 

Mean is Now Green

Several readers have called and also one posted here about the Kim Richter overpass flip-flop.

Yes, you are correct. On November 12, 2008 in an all-candidates meeting, Councillor Richter clearly stated that we cannot be quick to turn away $40M in funding. Before the vote, Richter took a back seat in allowing Green to have a roid rage, accusing the council of bowing to provincial government pressure, being held hostage over the $40M, etc.

It was also interesting to see that despite the local media saying that it is council who are still fighting the last election. Just hearing Green's prepared statement read to the smaller love fest group the meeting will make it clear to everyone that this rookie mayor is still fighting the last election. It was a mean-spirited statement from this mayor. But Bucky and the crew just continue to love him all over!

We also received many calls and comments about a certain "blog editor" that we have chosen not to publish here. Members of the general public watched his videos of the overpass discussion and vote and many people called him a "creep" for zooming in his camera several times on Councillor Jordan Bateman as Mayor Green was speaking. "Creep" was the kinder of the comments received and others talked about his "stalker" activities over the years, which included the hiring of a private eye to conduct surveillance on Bateman. One person talked in more detail terms about what kind of "sicko" would hire someone to tail the father of two young girls. You can see the stalker's voyeur cam you know where. Lots of people laughed at his apparent lack of camera skills with the zoom clicks and out of focus shots.

Reason 487 Why Kim Richter Is Not ToL Mayor Material

The Mufford/64th Overpass vote on Monday shows us another clear reason why Councillor Kim Richter is not mayor material and would only hold back the Township of Langley.

Cllr. Richter lives in central Langley and is completely out of touch with our urban Langley. There is a balance in our community, but the fact is that the majority of our population lives within the urban 20% of our Township. Richter is completely out of touch with urban Langley and makes decisions as though she despises or resents urban Langley for even being part of the ToL.  

Not long ago, Councillor Richter suggested that due to the number of accidents on 200th Street, speed limits should be reduced. One has to wonder with comments like that, just how many times per year Cllr. Richter even travels along 200th Street. Maybe 2-3 times per year? Had Richter travelled on 200th Street she would know very well that with the sheer amount of traffic on 200th, probability alone would say there would be more accidents! Reducing speed limits is also a very foolish suggestion, as traffic often moves at or below the speed limit much of the day due to volume, unless you are talking about 2am. 

Councillor Kim Richter - Just not Township mayoral material. More reasons to come!

Crazy Council Meeting

This council meeting certainly matches the ToL circus!

Sore Losers Lie About Overpass

Councillor Kim Richter's blog has pulled out all the stops and outright lies about the new overpass and any cost overruns.  Richter's blog says:

"Translink VP Sheri Plewes answers Clr. Kim Richter confirming that all land purchase overpass cost overruns will be the major responsibility of Langley Township!"

Well, reporter Matthew Claxton and others present, must have been at a different meeting than Councillor Richter and her cohorts, as Claxton says in today's Langley Advance:

"Richter asked about cost overruns and who will pay for them, if there are any. Plewes said initially that cost overruns would be taken on by the Township, but later said some could be shared with the province, as well."

Once again the Green/Richter slate blog tells you what they want you to hear and ignores the facts. We should also note that Councillor Richter must be confused, as over the past few months she has been saying that large construction projects should wait, as with this economy they will only get cheaper. Why then would there be any cost overruns?

Our Construction Expert Editor says that currently vendors are quoting 10%-15% lower than our pre-economic meltdown rates. Our expert also points out that as the Township will control the tendering process, the ToL could reduce scope of work or adjust specifications to achieve cost containment. Would you like to build this much-needed overpass during a time such as this, or 20 years from now when the costs will be so much more? The Green/Richter slate just don't get it.

Monday's ToL Council Meetings

Meetings of Interest This Week:

Monday, March 9, 2009

Special Council Meeting

Fraser River Presentation Theatre - 3:00pm - 5:30pm

Public Hearing

Fraser River Presentation Theatre - 7:00pm - ?

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Special Council Budget Meeting

Fraser River Presentation Theatre - 3:15pm - 5:15pm

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Special Council Budget Meeting

Fraser River Presentation Theatre - 3:15pm - 5:15pm

Monday, March 9, 2009 

Township of Langley Council - Reports & Documentation

Special Council Meeting - 3:00pm - 5:30pm

Council votes at 3:00pm to go into a Special Closed meeting. Following the Special Closed, council returns to deal with the rest of the agenda. Sometimes this is at 3:30pm and sometimes not until 4:00pm. It depends on how much in-camera time is required. The meeting must end by 5:30pm. Click words below to access official ToL documents.

Agenda

Minutes of Last Special Meeting

Doc 1

Doc 2

Doc 3

Doc 4

Doc 5

Doc 6

Doc 7

Special Meeting of ToL Council - Public Hearing - 7:00pm until ?

During this public hearing, council will listen to proponents of various developments and members of the public that have submissions on these proposals. No decisions are made at this Public Hearing and council does not ask questions, they simply listen to public input.Click words below to access official ToL documents.

Agenda

Doc 1

Doc 2

Doc 3

Doc 4

Doc 5

Cllr. Ferguson Raises Budget Concerns

The Falcon Fight
How to play:
Knock your opponent out! Use the A and S keys on your keyboard to punch, and your up and down arrow keys to move back and forth.


Now for more serious stuff...

Growing group see massive red flags in Mayor Green's proposed budget - Councillors and public question the wisdom of it all.

The Mayor's Standing Committee on Finance have done their work and recommendations have been provided by the committee to council. The Editorial Board of the Langley Record respects the work of this committee, and most especially the three civilian volunteers. But serious questions still exist and Councillor Steve Ferguson has some very serious concerns for the impact that the recommendations will have on our community. Cllr. Ferguson was a member of this committee and all of the process, except for the closed-door meetings.

This statement was made by Councillor Ferguson upon his receipt of the committee's report the evening before. He read this statement at the March 3, 2009 joint Council Priorities Committee & Mayor's Standing Finance Committee Meeting:

Cllr. Ferguson's Submission to the Mayor's Standing Committee of Finance

I have serious concerns regarding the meanings and implications of the recommendations submitted to the Township of Langley Council.

I have had less than 24 hours to view the recommendations. I have not been involved in the compiling of the recommendations, as they were done in a closed setting outside the formal committee structure. A structure that involves an agenda, minutes, motions, questions, and requests for supplemental information. I understand that the final recommendations, including figures, were prepared without staff consultation or direct verifications. (This may lead to misunderstandings regarding Utilities, Transfers, borrowing, Staff costs, and other organizational explanations)

I do not support some of the recommendations of the committee and I have already submitted some questions to the Mayor via email. (attached to this submission)

I do not support a Township wide hiring freeze. (although not specifically mentioned, certainly suggested in Item 3 (page 9))

Although much has been said about the zero-based budgeting process, little has been presented to the committee regarding the accounting process or implementation.

I am concerned that the committee is requesting The Township go backwards in having less utilities and therefore less explanation on tax notices.

I am very concerned about comments made regarding the Fire Department. The Tenure of item 6 (page 10) suggests our Fire Department has major challenges

I am concerned about the comments submitted regarding Hybrid vehicles. We are extremely active in a Sustainable Charter Initiative, reversing the process now would be counterproductive.

I have been involved in many budget in my 6 terms as a municipal councillor and this process has been less open, less transparent, and more time intensive than anything that I have ever seen.

I look forward to hearing the comments of my fellow councillors during our OPEN budget deliberations.

Respectfully submitted,

Cllr. Steve Ferguson

The items refered to in Cllr. Ferguson's statement are related to the committee's report which you can view here. We note that although council voted to place this report on the Township website, to date this has not been done. We are not sure if someone is trying to prevent you from seeing it or not. The report says absolutely nothing, as the devil is in the details here and the mayor has done a great job in holding all of the details back from the public and his council.
Councillor Steve Ferguson's Report Comments

1. How was #6 determined given version 4 of our reports indicated a $131M figure

1(a). Where are the details of your numbers?

2. Item 2(C) indicates a policy figure of $17M, are you transferring monies above that figure to operational?

3. Item 2(D) indicates maintaining the non-statutory operating capital fund surpluses at $28M
yet I am concerned about the following?

Fire divisional deficit $1.6m
Police deficit $1.3m
One-time divisional requests of $1.1m
Solid Waste deficit $1.1m
Other short falls approx. $.7m

4. Where did the .93% tax increase come from?

5. How did you balance the budget? Item 1(c)?

6. The TOL's has had a policy of contributions to Capital to protect our fragile infrastructure what has happened to it? Why?

7. I am concerned that you have misunderstood how Utilities operate in our community. It appears as if you are unfairly redistributing funds from one utility to another. Township Residents who pay for their own solid waste (I believe you are one) are subsidizing users on the system. This appears to be true also in the Water utility.

It Is Confirmed - Mayor Green's Hearing Has Failed

This letter from a very senior Ministry of Transportation official states very clearly that if the Township chooses to reject the Mufford/64th Overpass, the funding will go elsewhere to other priorities. The letter also makes it very clear that there are no opportunities for a redesign. End of story. Mayor Green's stall tactics (perhaps hoping for a quick GVRD report?) have backfired on him. He now looks very foolish to senior levels of government for this silly stunt of his. You can be sure that this council will not be so trusting with him again. 

We have also confirmed that as of March 20th the public will have full access to more information on what Mayor Green has done and you can be certain that we will publish it all here. Stay tuned!

I - Ear and Nose Troubles Infect Township Mayor

By now the evidence is mounting that Mayor Rick Green has been operating in the back alleys to help his friends and insiders. It is far from Green's election rhetoric of open and transparent government, not being "top-down" in running the Township, et al. Here is a fair chain of events:

• Mayor Green allows the Mufford overpass to become a campaign issue, with insiders passing out materials on the overpass during the debates. This is so that he can address this issue and make it appear that there has been no previous public consultation. Obviously this is not true and Green had access to all of the documents that prove public input into the process.

• The Green/Richter slate allows friends and insiders to make delegations to council. Little does council know then, but they are being railroaded by the slate. After the delegation, Councillor Kim Richter puts forth a motion for another "public input" session and two public open houses. The two open houses are hijacked by Green/Richter insiders and becomes a circus, along with the public input sesssion with council. Green is angered by staff giving a presentation before the public input. He and Richter actually laugh out loud in council when staff are attacked by a viral older gentleman, further showing their disdain for staff.

• Green goes to the GVRD Board meeting and presents a Notice of Motion for the GVRD agricultural staff to review the Preliminary Design with regards to farmlands. He never speaks to council about this.

• Green meets with MP John Cummins behind closed doors and mentions a small line in his mayor's report that week that says they met to discuss "mutual interests", without stating what exactly they discussed. 

• Another report is issued by staff to show overall public support for the project, but not before Green orders the same public input documents to be distributed to council a total of 3 times. The slate also encourages the opponents to send vicious and threatening e-mails to council in an attempt to bully them.

• Green presents a very inaccurate view to council that the funding partners are ready to reconsider a new overpass design. Council takes Green at his word and approves the putting aside of an acceptance of the staff report and the overpass for opne week, as Green requests. We now know from this TransLink letter here, that this was an absolute falsehood and clear deception in his dealing with council. Besides having an "I" problem that needs serious attention from an "I" doctor, Green must also need a hearing specialist now. 

LANGLEY RECORD EXCLUSIVE INVESTIGATION

By Guest Editor "HOUND DOG"  Interview & Investigation 

MP John Cummins and Mayor Green - Truth or Consequences for ToL

It was interesting to many councillors and public alike, that MP John Cummins would take such an interest in an infrastructure project well outside his constituency. Firstly, why would he show such little respect for fellow Conservative Party caucus member, MP Mark Warawa. Secondly, one must ask why is the Mufford/64th Overpass project of such concern to him. Through some nifty investigative work a couple of disturbing things were uncovered:

1. MP Cummins met directly with our Mayor Rick Green and it was documented without detail in Green's Mayor's Report as previously written here. But did MP Warawa get that same opportunity for a meeting when truly Langley Township is his riding and has nothing to do with an MP from Delta-Richmond, or does it, one must ask? Green's excuse of "we are old buddies" doesn't cut it, there must have been a greater reason for this unusal meeting.

2. Interestingly enough, our candid investigator discovered through a well-heeled informant that if Langley turns the overpass down, guess whose riding is about to benefit from all that cash? You guessed it, Delta-Richmond. The City of Richmond our source reports, has an infrastructure project of similar value to the Mufford overpass, yet still unfunded. Our informant reports this Richmond project is described as shovel ready and a high priority. Interesting, isn't it? Langley turns it down and MP Cummins looks like a hero as he delivers the cash from the funding partners, based on Langley's foolish decision.

3. In the report, Delta is to have a couple of overpasses built as part of the Roberts Bank Rail Corridor bigger picture project. But, they are farther down the list, and no monies or time frame are available for their construction. If Langley fails to pass this project, guess what? Delta's projects move up the list and are closer to becoming a reality. Again with MP Cummins looking like a huge hero as he delivers the goodies for his constituents.

In conclusion, what was said at that closed door ("he's my buddy") meeting between Mayor Green and MP Cummins? Was it something of "mutual interest", or was it to the detriment of the ToL? Our source tells us it is scheming to assist the mayor's old stomping grounds at the expense of his newly-adopted community.

Mr. Mayor - the sting is on and your shroud of secrecy is once again evident - transparency is thrown out the window! However, we suspect it was never part of your slate's plan. Another election promise broken.

Mayor Green Ignores His Promise of Transparency - Once AGAIN

ANOTHER LANGLEY RECORD EXCLUSIVE !

3/4/09 @ 6:00pm SEE Update I at the end of this article!

This rookie mayor just can't hold himself back from acting in secret and being anything but transparent to the people of the Township of Langley, nor the elected council. The Editorial Board of the Langley Record has just learned that Mayor Rick Green acted in secret in getting the Mufford/64th Overpass onto the agenda of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) Regular Meeting of Friday, February 27, 2009. Mayor Green is the Township's primary representative and director. 

Cover of Agenda here (click documents to enlarge):

Note Agenda Item 4.3 here:

Mayor Green issues a Mayor's Report at every regular meeting of Township Council. In this document, which is his first report after the GVRD meeting he makes no mention of his motion at the GVRD meeting, despite the Mufford/64th Overpass staff report coming before council that very evening for review. Here is the mayor's report in its entirety.

This mayor ran on a loud and clear platform of openess and transparency. Yet despite all the rhetoric, he has called closed-door meetings that not only excluded the public and the press, but also our very own councillors that were also elected to serve our best interests.

To add insult to injury, the mayor held another secret meeting in his office Tuesday afternoon with Standing Finance Committee members Mayor Rick Green, Councillor Kim Richter, Calvin Patterson and George Luciani, just after their meeting with council. Councillor Steve Ferguson, who is also a member of this committee, was never advised of that this non-public meeting would be held in the mayor's office. Apparently this secret meeting did not require a motion in public to go behind closed doors, as was offered in the last Finance Committee meeting by Councillor Kim Richter, before the committee's report was issued. 

Secret meetings in the mayor's office. Hidden motions being put forth by our mayor when a poll clearly shows the majority of ToL residents favour an overpass.  The slate pandering to insiders and campaign buddies.

How can any citizen in the Township of Langley fault our ToL Council members for not trusting Mayor Rick Green and his slate, or for not taking him at face value? Shame on Mayor Rick Green for failing to keep our council appraised of his activities, as he purports to represent the interests of ALL of the citizens of the Township of Langley in meetings with other agencies and boards. 

Yes, Mayor Green is having a great time as stated in his Mayor's Report all right. But this great time is all at the expense of our residents, elected council and openess and transparency. 

Update I - 3/4/09 @ 6:00pm

Apparently Mayor Green has been playing Secret Squirrel at the GVRD longer than we thought. Click document to enlarge. 

Yesterday's ToL Council Meeting Recap

As expected, the arrogant were truely out in force last night. Vile people that are not articulate enough to make the case for what they believe, execpt to offer up shots of venom in the form of personal attacks and name-calling. Innuendo and suggestions of corruption spewing from their tongues, along with childish threats of election losses.  

Of course the brute mentality is directly in line with the rookie mayor who basically sat back and allowed the circus to carry one, with mild and timid injections of "order. He can certainly belt out orders with those who oppose him, but he gets very meak around his love fest. These were formal delegations to council and people were allowed to applaud and carry on. The rookie mayor has allowed all decorum to be thrown out and calls to order by fellow councillors are of no avail, so they don't bother to call them these days.

At one point, one very outspoken critic that is VERY arrogant actually stood up during council discussion in an attempt to debate them. This is the kind of cricus this mayor breeds, imagine that! This civilian who rose up has said that he has worked various professionals, but apparently he is CLUELESS as to how to have professional tact and respect for process and parlimentary procedure. Might we say another arrogant bull here? The first bully of the evening topped the cake with personal and vile attacks on Councillor Bateman and others. But this man should now feel like a fool (putting it mildly) after last night's vote was taken, eh?

Despite all the direct negative statements of BC Liberal connections and their power hold over ToL council, it was very apparent that Councillor Bateman and others had no prior knowledge of the mayor's discussions with provincial staff. So much for conspiracy theory folks!

The Editorial Board of the Langley Record must commend Mr. Wally Martin for his delegation and respectful submission. Unlike the others, Mr. Martin was respectful of council members and calmly made his case and campaign for the removal of heavy rail from Langley. We have heard complaints from people that signed his petition to removal heavy rail, as in his ToL delegation he then used this petition to ask council to reconsider the overpass vote and stated that these two issues are very much inter-related. But those that signed can call Mr. Martin and voice those concerns. Wally Martin stuck to the issues and did not bully or call anyone names. Good on him. 

Despite all the arrogance and smug its-a-fact predictions by a certain L*P "editor", the entire council with the exception of "no tell Mel" (Councillor Mel Kositsky) actually voted with the mayor to wait one week for clarification on what overpass changes may be do-able with the funding partners. Apparently Mayor Green had a conversation with a government staff member that verbally said that the Township could ask the funding partners for clarification on possible changes. The mayor did not have this in writing, but council was reasonable and supported the mayor's motion to go back to the funding partners for this clarification. Council took the mayor at FACE VALUE. Let's hope the mayor has his facts straight, but mayor and council should be commended for working together last night. This should also signal to the mayor that he needs to find more opportunities like last evening to work with the council that the electorate voted for.

MUCH praise must also go to Township staff who have had to endure constant attacks on their credibility, credentials and integrity. The public optics of the mayor's disdain for Township of Langley staff have not gone unnoticed by the electorate. The mayor's body language when staff are presenting materials is appauling. A fidgeting mayor who puffs out his cheeks and shuts what staff is saying, as he just can't wait for them to finish speaking, so that he can take over the microphone and be King of the Jungle again. What arrogance! This week even some Green supports complained to these editors about the mayor's attitude and interactions with council and staff.

Perhaps all of the senior ToL staff should get medical documentation and all file for stress leave.  It would be highly warrented under the circumstances and we are sure that medical professionals would agree that staff are just being bullied and stressed out. Then we can see what this mayor is made of. Maybe he can round up a team of his arm-chair engineers to run the Township into the ground? Time for Mayor Green to chill out and respect the ToL staff.

Flip Flop in the Works

Councillor Jordan Bateman is Now Batman Super Hero
- LF* Editor

According to the wannabee editor of the "other blog", it is pretty clear that the Green-Richter slate will support turning down the Mufford/64th Overpass, while continuing a very dysfunctional relationship. Who can figure. This represents another significant flip-flop by Councillor Kim Richter who clearing stated during the campaign last year and earlier this year that an overpass is needed and that it would be difficult to turn down this level of funding. Looks like the bully overpowered her and got his way.

As usual, the schizophrenia is very obvious, as they slate's blog vacillates from Councillor Jordan Bateman being insignificant, to now being the all-powerful super hero that bends the minds of his fellow councillors.

Maybe the slate should remember this information from the professional poll commissioned by the ToL:

Upcoming ToL Council Meetings

Township of Langley Council will meet tomorrow for the 4:00 pm Special Meeting and the 7:00pm Regular Meeting. The Special Meeting are always quiet, but usually contain good presentations, delegations and reports.

Tomorrow night's Regular Meeting of Council will see council chambers filled with the usual Mayor Rick Green Love Fest crowd that will be out in force for council's vote on the Mufford/64 Ave Overpass report from staff. The hallmark of this administration has been to service the needs of friends and insiders.

We shall see if Mayor Green does his job and keeps the meeting dignified and in order, as it should be. Since this mayor has taken office, professionalism and decorum have not been a hallmark, as he has allowed hooting, shouting, ongoing debate after delegations, and applause. All in what should be a civil meeting that is conducted decently and with proper order. But Mayor Green is no student of procedure and decorum for sure. The sideshows and allowing of sideshows just signal a total lack of respect for the office and the civil process. Watch for the carnival atmosphere folks, as the cotton candy salesman will be sure to greet his love fest at the doors upon entry.

It was interesting to note that Mayor Green had the Township page (ToL paid advertising) run a large picture of himself (yes, the 12 year old photo) on our dime, for his Mayor's Forum that was held (where else?), Milner Chapel Hall on Saturday. The very same advertising that both Green and Richter have complained about time after time. The next three Mayor's Forums will be held in the same place in Milner, so we have a before the Mufford Vote, and then two after. The rest of council knew what he was up to, so when he asked about a name for these meetings, council allowed the mayor to declare they are his meetings. We suspect as is the case with all of his hidden agenda items, that there will be little council participation. Why would you go as a councillor when it is clearly his game with the Love Fest groupies?

Monday, March 2, 2009 - Meetings of Township Council

Special 4:00pm Meeting (open to the public after the 3:00pm In-Camera)
Agenda here
Minutes from Last Meeting here

Doc 1
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Doc 10


Regular 7:00 pm Meeting (open to the public)

Agenda here
Minutes of Last Meeting here

Mufford /64 Overpass Report Doc 1
Doc 2
Doc 3
Doc 4

With the recent mixed signals from the Green-Richter Slate on open and closed doors meetings and such, it will be very interesting to see how Councillor Richter votes on the Mufford/64th Overpass. If she votes against the overpass this will be significant, as she will have fallen behind the mayor and his slate and she also will have flip=flopped on statements she made during the campaign.